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PLEASE NOTE: In the autumn of 1995, we hatched the idea for a free, local gardening publication. The following spring, we published the first issue of Michigan Gardener magazine. Advertisers, readers, and distribution sites embraced our vision. Thus began an exciting journey of helping our local gardening community grow and prosper.
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Overwintering sweet potato vine tubers

February 23, 2010 •

I planted sweet potato vines in containers last summer (both the chartreuse and dark purple ones). When I took out the plants for the winter, they had grown banana-sized tubers. Could I have over-wintered these and planted them in the spring? If so, how would I do it.

Believe it or not the sweet potato vine tubers are actually edible. The taste is a cross between a regular potato and sweet potato! This beautiful vine has grown quickly in popularity for its fast growing habit and lush foliage. Yes, you can store the tubers for next spring’s planting. In the fall simply remove all foliage from the tuber, wash off any soil and let the tuber dry thoroughly for about 24 hours. After it dries, store the tuber in dry peat moss and keep in a dark area that maintains a steady temperature between 50 and 60 degrees. Next spring, remove the tuber from the peat and cut it into smaller pieces or plant whole in fresh potting soil and start watering. Place in a sunny area and in no time at all you will have lush green or purple growth!

How to prune Caryopteris

February 22, 2010 •

Is Caryopteris a perennial or a shrub? It doesn’t seen to die back all the way to the ground, but seems like it does have some deadwood on it each spring. I never know how and when to prune it.

Caryopteris, commonly known as bluebeard spirea or blue-mist spirea, is really a woody shrub in more southern areas of the country. Here in Michigan we should consider it a woody perennial since the amount of spring dieback will vary with the severity of the previous winter. Many other shrubs commonly grown in our area can be treated in a similar manner. These include: butterfly bush (Buddleia), beautyberry (Callicarpa), bushclover (Lespedeza) and Hypericum.

Spring pruning can be approached in one of three ways:

Prune all of the stems down to 6 to 8 inches in early to mid-April. This keeps your shrubs approximately the same size each year since they begin their growth from the same starting point.
Wait until May when buds begin to swell and growth emerges. Any wood that remains inactive can be pruned off at this time. Scratching the bark with your thumbnail will also reveal where green living wood merges into brown tissues where dieback has occurred.
An intermediate approach (especially useful after mild winters) is to prune the plant back in April by about one-third to help the shape and overall neatness. Wait until growth emerges later in May, then prune off any winter dieback that remains. Methods 2 and 3 will allow the shrub to gain additional size each year as long as winter conditions allow.

Thick black roots appearing in soil

February 21, 2010 •

I was preparing a bed for planting last fall and while I was turning over the soil, I kept pulling up jet black roots about 1/4 inch in diameter. They had sinewy, white centers and traveled all over the 15 by 30 foot area I was working. What are these roots? I remember some ferns popping up in this area earlier in the year.

I suspect you may be encountering the bracken fern, common throughout Michigan and the Great Lakes region. It reproduces by spores produced on the underside of the leaves and spreads by way of a thick, black and scaly rootstock that may grow to a length of 20 feet or more. Shoots can pop up almost anywhere along this rootstock. A vigorous root system, such as the one produced by this fern, can be quite invasive and can quickly spread out of control making a pest of itself. However, the roots will not survive if they are not nourished by the top growth. Continue to pull out the roots as you work the bed. Eliminate any top growth as it appears and the root system will eventually die off. Be persistent in your efforts and you will gain the upper hand.

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